The Gopis Seek Krishna in the Forest: Gallery Label - Current

Author

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Date

2007-06-30

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

This folio from the Bhagavata Purana (The Ancient Story of the Blessed One) is significant because its early date places it among the few surviving pre-Mughal examples of Indian painting made for Hindu patronage. The series it comes from is among the earliest to establish the existence of a pre-Mughal style other than Jain. Combining indigenous Indian styles with variations on earlier foreign traditions, it is characterized by bold colors, vigorous movement, and inventive compositions that convey energy and excitement.

This episode shows the gopies, the cowherd wives of Krishna, searching desperately for their lord. Divided into two horizontal registers, they ask the trees and plants in the forest where their divine lover is.